


Reunited (Aomine Daiki x Reader)

by Yeezus-Chan (biasedchild)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Backstory, Basketball, Canon Compliant, Drama & Romance, Fluff, Kawaii, Multi, Mystery, Reunions, Slow Burn, stop lying, you know you do, you will enjoy this if you fantasize about Aomine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2020-08-13 04:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20168302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biasedchild/pseuds/Yeezus-Chan
Summary: It's the first day of school at Toō Academy and you're back in Japan just in time. After moving away to a foreign country under mysterious circumstances, you know there is one face you're sure to see after all these years; your childhood friend Aomine Daiki. How will he take your unexpected return to Japan? What was your sudden departure really about? And how will you and Aomine's relationship change as the beginning events of Kuroko no Basuke begin to unfold?





	1. Welcome Home

_He watches as you walk away._

_You can feel his eyes on your back, searing through your raincoat, piercing your flesh, burning a hole through your body, to your heart. You won't let him see you cry though._

_Not when he is shedding tears himself._

........................................................................

As the basketball left your hands, you relished in the perfection of your shot; you absolutely knew it would go through the hoop and you let out a satisfied sigh at the pleasant swish the ball made as it passed through the net.

Yes, it was good to be back on the streets of Tokyo again, no matter how bitter sweet your presence there was. A light breeze tickled your skin as you walked to the hoop to retrieve the ball, your (h/c) fly-aways dancing around your ponytail.

Tokyo, you thought. I never realized how much I missed you until I came back.

You checked your watch and sighed at the time. Your brief interlude of bliss should have ended 5 minutes ago and you rushed to grab your bags and head home.

As you walked through the front door, you heard the steady but faint beeping of the heart-rate monitor echoing through the empty house, and you breathed a sigh of relief. That sound had become your constant companion and reassurance; it meant your onee-chan had survived another day. You took off your shoes by the doorway, setting down your basketball beside them, and shuffled into the kitchen. You dumped the contents of your backpack on the table, pushing away your Toō Academy schedule and Basketball Monthly magazine to get the bottle of pills you had picked up earlier that day.

You heard footsteps and looked up as Nurse Shirogane stood in the doorway. You gave her a nod, acknowledging her presence, and handed her the pills. She grabbed them, but quickly placed her other hand atop yours.

"(Name)-chan, you have no idea how inspired I am by you. It isn't everyone who drop everything like you did to come take care of someone, even their sister. It is so amazing that you've been able to power through this immense struggle and persevere, despite all the complications these past few years have offered. I know that if your mother could see you now, she....."

Shirogane-san gushed and gushed, as always, and you let your mind wander. Ever since (sister's name)'s stroke, people treated you like you were made of glass that would shatter at any moment, and hence they felt the need to constantly pat your head and praise you. As the nurse continued to sing your name to the heavens, your thoughts drifted to a certain blue-haired individual who you knew you would be reunited with the next day...

........................................................................

He saw you before you saw him.

Aomine Daiki was walking to school just like any other day. Momoi Satsuki was walking beside him, chattering like a toy monkey with cymbals, just like any other day. Then, the ace saw something that he didn't see any other day. In fact, it was something he hadn't seen in many, many, many days; or rather, someone.

(Last Name, First Name).

The very thought of her name sent a chill down his spine, the name of a phantom that only appeared in his dreams and memories. Aomine stopped and stared for what felt like years before an audible gasp from Momoi tore him away from the specter across the street.

"Nanda?!? Aomine-kun, that's (Last Name, First Name)-chan!"

Momoi's words sunk in and he realized that the girl across the street, the girl that was crossing the street, coming towards him, was no figment of his imagination.

........................................................................

You glanced both ways and stepped off the curb onto the street. No time for cross walks and pedestrian manners, you had jay-walked the entire way to school. No way you were going to mystically find all your classes on a campus as large as Toō Academy's, so you made sure you had enough time to scope the place out before classes began.

Halfway across the street, your eyes zeroed in on two very familiar faces, and you stopped dead in your tracks. A car's horn blared on your left side and you snapped back to attention, sprinting to the other side of the street before disaster struck.

You put your hands on your knees and panted for a moment as you caught your breath, injury miraculously avoided. You felt eyes on the top of your head, that same dart-like gaze that has always looked through you with such an intensity, you knew you could never hide anything from it. Looking up, your (e/c) eyes met a pair of blue and pink ones, and your breath caught in your throat.

Painful nostalgia coursed through your veins and your heart sped up as you rose and stood before your two closest friends since childhood.

"D-D-Daiki... and... S-Suki-chan..."

Their names fell out of your mouth in an awkward, stuttered jumble.

"What are you doing here?"

You mentally face palmed at the stupidity of the question. Luckily, your question was drowned out by an ear splitting shriek emitted by a nearby Momoi.

"(Name)-chaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!"

The bleary eyed drama queen tackled you, and you fell on your bum for the second time. Momoi's chest pushed into your face, and you flailed your arms wildly as you started to suffocate. Just as the world started getting dim, she released you from her excruciating embrace. Kneeling down next to you, you saw the start of tears forming in the corners of her eyes and you let out a weak smile as Momoi sniffled.

"(Name)... I can't believe it's really you! How long as it been? A couple years? You left without telling me goodbye! How could you? And then you just fell of the face of the earth completely! No texts, no calls, no letters, no nothing! Did you change your number? I tried calling you a million times but I guess the phones aren't the same in (Country) or something because it would never connect. How long are you back for? *Gasp* Are you going to Toō Academy?! Because that's where Aomine-kun and I go!"

Momoi released a torrent of questions, moving on before you could address any of them. As soon as you opened your mouth to answer one of her questions, she was on to the next subject. The familiarity of the situation sent a pang of remembrance through you, and you glanced up at the hulking male who you had grown up with.

He was staring right at you.

You swallowed hard, and there was a tangible electricity in his gaze. Momoi, sensing the tension, abruptly paused her verbal barrage and looked at the two of you, a slick smile appearing on her face.

"Hora, hora. (Name)-chan has blossomed nicely, nee, Aomine-kun?"

A wave of scarlet encompassed Aomine's face, and he quickly broke his stare. Grunting, he turned away and started to walk off.

"Chotto, Aomine-kun!"

Momoi grabbed Aomine's arm and said, "Aren't you going to properly greet (Name)-chan and welcome her back?"

Aomine turned around and looked you right in the eye; that's when you saw it.

The pain.

The same pain you saw in his eyes on that fateful last day. You winced, and Aomine let out another grunt before turning around and continuing his walk. You got back on your feet and let out a sigh as you watched the boy walk away.

Oh, Daiki... Will you ever learn to forgive me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short beginning to a longer x reader series up to 15 chapters; takes place simultaneously as the events in the canon KnB. Please leave feedback, whether you loved or hated it :)


	2. Droll

_"(Name)... You can't leave me now."_  
  
"Daiki, I have to. I don't have a choice."  
  
Tears started to run down his cheeks.  
  
"Daiki..."  
  
"If you go, I don't know if I can ever forgive you."  
  
........................................................................  
  


  
His words, spoken so long ago, echoed in your head, bouncing and reverberating off the insides of your skull. You let out a low, inaudible moan as you lay with your head down in English class. 

"Hello!"

"Hello!"

"How are you?"

"How are you?"

The teacher read aloud the English phrases and the class mindlessly regurgitated them. Resting your chin on your hands you glanced to the seat diagonal from you, and a small grin appeared on your face. Aomine was slumbering like a bear in hibernation; he didn't even attempt to hide the fact that he was sleeping, rather blatantly expressing how little he cared. 

Typical Aomine.

_God, I wish I could talk to him._

You let out another muffled moan and continued to reflect on your past choices.

_I had to leave. It was a dire circumstance out of my control. Then why do I feel so guilty? Why do I feel like Daiki has become this cold, unfeeling creature because of me?_

__The afternoon bell shattered your thoughts and you snapped back to the present. You stood up from your desk, eyes never leaving Aomine's back. Hustling out of the crowded room, you watched as Aomine sauntered out the door and subconsciously started following him. Of course, you knew where he was going; after all, you knew him better than he knew himself.

You watched him climb the steps that led to the roof and your regret hit you like a freight train. Wistfulness, pure and clear, washed over you, and you longed to be by his side once again.

But you knew it was possible that you would never be by his side again.

As Aomine disappeared over the edge of the stairs and out of view, you considered going up; But how on earth would he react? And how would you hold a conversation with someone who had become a stranger to you? You sighed, and when you turned to walk away from the staircase, Momoi materialized.

"Aomine-kun is up there, ne?"

"Un, I think I saw him go up."

"..."

"... What?"

"Ano... (Name)-chan, aren't you going to go up too?"

A crimson hue flashed across your cheeks at Momoi's implications.

"N-no, actually, I was just going to head home."

"(Name)-chan..."

Momoi looked down at her shoes as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. You cocked your head to the side.

"Hai?"

"Onegai, (Name)-chan... Could you go up to the roof?"

She looked back up at you with a pleading look in her eye as she continued.

"I know you can see better than anyone how Aomine-kun has changed. He isn't the Dai-chan who would joke around with Tetsu-kun and played basketball with a fiery passion. He's someone I barely even recognize... But I think you could change all of that."

Your eyes widened in surprise.

"Me? You think I'm the answer?"

Momoi nodded vigorously.

"Don't you remember the old days? You two were inseparable. You had this intimate connection with Aomine-kun that no one in his life has ever come close too, and you influenced him in ways you don't even know. He was _crushed_ when you moved to (Country), but now you're back! Maybe if you talk to him...?"

Sentence trailing off, Momoi gave you an earnest look. You inhaled, then sighed.

"Suki-chan, didn't you notice the cold reception I received when he first saw me? He hasn't said a word to me, and hasn't even acknowledged my presence since my first day, and that was almost a month ago. Can't you tell he hates me now?"

"Uso! Aomine-kun could never hate you!"

Shaking your head, you turned to leave.

"You're wrong, Suki-chan."

With that, you left Momoi standing by the staircase and headed home. 

........................................................................

The next day, as you exited the school, you passed by the gym. You had steadily been avoiding the place, since you knew Aomine was on the basketball team, hence, occasionally using the gym, but today your curiosity got the better of you. After all, the school's team was nationally recognized and exceptionally strong; how could a basketball-head like you not see for yourself? Hoping Aomine was on the roof, you changed courses and jogged over to the gym entrance.

When you opened the doors, your eyes almost flew out of their sockets. There they were, the Toō Academy basketball team, in all their glory. The squeak of sneakers on the polished court and the dribble of basketballs were music to your ears, and you rushed over to the sidelines to watch.

As you walked, you caught Wakamatsu's eye.

_I wonder who that girl over there is. She looks... Foreign? I've definitely never seen her before; I would have remembered a kawaii face like that._

You felt Wakamatsu's gaze and stared back. He quickly looked away, and you blushed. Setting down his ball, Wakamatsu crossed the court towards you.

"Is there something I can do for you, Miss...?"

"(Last name, First name), and I was just hoping to observe your practice."

"A girl with an interest in basketball? That's pretty unusual."

"Is unusual always a bad thing? I think that the more unusual something is, the more interesting it is too."

Wakamatsu grinned.

"I guess I'd have to agree with that."

"So you're interested in me?" You said playfully.

You laughed as he blushed and tried to come up with an appropriate response. What you didn't see was Aomine in the background, who had wandered into practice in search of his trashy magazines. You also didn't see the cut throat look he shot in Wakamatsu's direction.

The two of you continued to converse until Imayoshi interrupted, telling Wakamatsu to get back to practice.

"Well," he said, "It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise." You stuck out your hand for a handshake.

"I uh... I hope to... I hope I can see you again sometime." You both blushed, and you nodded, then bowed.

Walking away, you had a small smile on your face. Wakamatsu was pretty kawaii, and it was nice to have received that kind of attention, especially in such a polite and non-pervy way.

Lost in thought, a small smile still on your face, you bumped into Aomine: literally.

"Watch it."

Aomine looked down at you and glared. You shrunk away from the heat and muttered a tiny, "Gomen," and hustled off.

Internally, Aomine groaned. He hadn't meant to come off THAT rude, but when he saw your face, all his pain came flooding back all too clearly. When he saw you with Wakamatsu, though, it was different, like all the feelings he used to have for you sort of slapped him in the face.

That left him wondering what exactly it was that was starting to stir inside of him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these aren't too long so I'm thinking about increasing the length. Feedback still appreciated below!


	3. Deepening

_He stood there in shock. The words leaving your mouth all ran together in his ears, one massive and unintelligible sound wave that had no meaning._  
  
Because what you were saying was painful. Because each word, each syllable was a tiny dagger.  
  
A tiny dagger stabbing over and over again into his already broken heart.  
  
  
  
........................................................................

  
Aomine placed a hand over his heart. He shook his head and let out a _"tch" _at the memory of that day. He couldn't believe the girly moment he'd just had.

_So what if she talks to some other guy? Things sure as hell aren't the way they used to be._

A vein popped up on his forehead and started throbbing.

_But that loud-mouthed idiot?!_

He let out another _"tch"_ and slung his bag over his shoulder. Suddenly, his impulses took over. Aomine jogged out of the gym and quickly scanned the outside. He found you sitting under the big sakura tree nearby and sauntered over towards you. Eyes glued to your _Basketball Monthly_ magazine, you didn't notice him approaching.

When his baritone voice boomed your name so close to you, you squealed and dropped your magazine. A slight bit of pain radiated from your index finger where a paper cut appeared. You scrunched your brow in annoyance and sucked on the cut, craning your neck to look at the boy who towered above you.

"Gomen, I didn't mean to scare you."

Your eyes widened in surprise. Aomine was talking to you? And even crazier, he was apologizing? Stupefied, you said nothing, and continued to suck on your finger.

Aomine cleared his throat nervously. "But, uh... How... How are you liking school here?"

He internally face palmed. _How is school? What the hell, Aomine?! Who the fuck says that? Get a grip, get a grip._

"It's alright, I guess. Probably would like it better here if my former best friend wasn't shunning me like I had contracted bubonic plague."

The salty reply was out of your mouth before your brain even processed it, and it was your turn to mentally kick yourself. You watched Aomine's nostrils flare, and knew he was going to rip you a new asshole for that little comment.

"It's not like you deserve any better. I told you flat out I'd never forgive you, and I meant what I said."

"Oi, that was over a year ago! Can't we just leave the past in the past and move the hell on?"

Aomine let out a deep breath.

"I shouldn't have talked to you. I don't even know why I came over here."

He abruptly turned and stalked off. The blood rushed to your head and you trampled your forgotten magazine as you stood.

"Teme... You're being a fucking jerk for no goddamn reason! Stop being so stubborn and just tell me what I have to do to get you to forgive me!"

He stopped. Without even turning around, he said,

"It's too late."

_........................................................................_

You recounted these same words to Momoi the next day, much to her dismay.

"He actually said the words 'It's too late'?"

"Yeah, he did. That shit seriously hurt, too."

You slumped lower in your chair. As if algebra didn't suck enough, now you had to relive that depressing tale once again. Picking at the band-aid on your finger, you looked at Momoi, only to see her eyes light up and sparkle. 

"(Name)-chan! I have the greatest idea!"

You already didn't like the sound of that.

"You should become co-manager of the basketball team! Not only would we have TONS of time to hang out, but you already love basketball! The best part is Aomine-kun would be forced to see you and eventually he'd HAVE to learn to forgive you, especially if he has to interact with you on a regular basis." 

"Yeah, there's only one problem... Daiki hardly comes to practice."

"Don't you worry about that. I'll find a way to make him come."

"That's what she said," You mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

So it looked like you were going to join the basketball club! Amazingly, you were kind of pumped and couldn't wait until your first day on the job. The next day after school, you rushed to the gym where Momoi was waiting for you outside. You linked arms and side by side the two of you entered the gymnasium. Coach Harasawa sat on the bench, legs crossed with hands in his lap, but rose when he saw you and Momoi approaching. 

"Domo, kan-toku! This is the girl I was telling you about."

  
"Hajimemashite, miss...?"

"(Last name, First name), sir."

The coach looked you up and down ad then turned back to Momoi.

"Is it really necessary that we have two managers? You're doing an excellent job on your own, Momoi-san, and she may well just get in your way."

Slightly insulted at his lack of faith, you turned scarlet, with both embarrassment and a bit of anger. Momoi let out a little jingle of laughter and shook her head.

"You'd be surprised at how much work data collecting is. Doing it on my own is definitely a handful, and two heads are better than one. With a second manager, we'd be able to double our efforts and double the information gathered. Also, (Name)-chan is quite the basketball and health fanatic; she used to create training regimens and drills for specific players based on the data I collected back when we were at Teiko together, sort of like Seirin's coach Aida Riko. What makes her better is that she's got my extensive data collection on the players to work with, as well her own good eyes. Trust me, she's definitely worth having."

Momoi beamed at you, and then turned back to Harasawa, who was gazing at you once again. Pursing his lips, he looked at Momoi.

"If you have that much faith in her, I'll agree to let her join. I trust your judgement Momoi-san."

With that, he did a small bow and walked off. Momoi squealed and clapped her hands, while you rolled your eyes.

"You're in, (Name)-chan!"

"Mattaku, the guy barely acknowledged me and didn't even say goodbye. Is everyone around here that rude?"

Momoi giggled.

"He's barely ever at practice. He was probably just annoyed that I asked him to stay after. Now it's time to meet the team!"

You moaned as Momoi grabbed your hand and dragged you towards the court where the team was running drills. Wakamatsu noticed the two of you approaching and stopped to stare. Imayoshi stopped as well and followed Wakamatsu's eyes. He smiled and waved and Momoi waved back.

"Guys, this is our new manager, (Last name, First name)! You guys are going to adore her, she's the best. (Name)-chan, this is Imayoshi-san, our captain, and Susa-san, our other senpai. This here is Wakamat-"

"Ah, we've met before."

Wakamatsu grinned at you as he cut Momoi off. You blushed and said, "Yeah, we met yesterday."

After the introductions, you sat on the bench to observe. You planned on spending a few days wrapping your head around your position and analyzing each team member while Momoi ran off to find Aomine. An hour later Momoi returned with Aomine in tow and you chuckled. When he glanced at you, you waved, but he flat out ignored you. Puffing out your lip, you huffed, and turned back to practice. 

Even though Aomine was there, he still didn't practice. He just lazed around with his gravure magazines not really paying anyone any attention. Time flew by and you checked your watch. You yelped when you realized how late it had gotten, and you fumbled to gather all of your things. Waving at Momoi frantically to get her attention, you rushed over to her.

"I seriously have to go, Suki-chan, I'm already late!"

"Masaka! There's still over an hour left in practice."

"Then I won't be able to stay for the full time..."

"Everyday?"

You sighed, realizing how unreliable you sounded.

"Yeah, I'll have to leave around this time everyday."

"But why?"

"Because my onee-"

You slapped your hand over your mouth.

"Because there's someone at home who I have to take care of. Can't I just leave it at that?"

You didn't wait for a response, you just turned and jogged off, internally scolding yourself.

_Baka, baka, baka! No one here is supposed to know about that. You can't tell Suki-chan and absolutely, under no circumstances can you tell Daiki. Because if he finds out... I'll have some serious explaining to do._

Aomine watched as you left.


	4. Awaken, My Love

_The rain poured._  
  
_ He could feel himself tightening up, all the doors inside him that released any joy or happiness or satisfaction slowly closing up. _  
  
_ His smile, the childish, beautiful smile that you adored, flew away like a wild goose with the moon on its wings. _  
  
_ The rain continued to pour._  
  
  
........................................................................

Out of breath from the run, you opened the door as quietly as you could, listening in the doorway for the tell-tale beeping from your onee-chan's room. Sure enough, there it was, and you breathed your first real breath since you bolted from the gym. You threw down your bag and and leaned against the closed door, sliding down it until you landed on the floor with a tiny muffled thud. You took off your shoes and hurled them with a frustrated cry. 

Nurse Shirogane left at 5pm. Practice didn't end until much later.

That sucked.

You blew away the stray hairs dangling from your face with a huff. Moaning, your insides churned at the thought of what was to come. With your onee-chan in such an unstable condition, there was no way you could leave her alone after the nurse left, not even to manage the team. Moaning again, you got to your feet and shuffled down the hall to her room. 

Tubes fed into her arms and coiled around her like a nest of snakes. The heart-rate monitor continued to softly beat at a steady pace, as she turned her head to watch you approach. You sighed, lightly, and sat on the edge of the bed, placing her hand in yours.

"How are feeling today?"

She smiled weakly and dimly, her response no more than a hoarse, dry whisper.

"Same old, same old. You're not looking too well though."

You swung your legs up over the bed and snuggled up next to her. You recounted the past month, and all the drama that started since that day you first reunited with Aomine.

"I know it must all sound silly and stupid. Taking care of you is obviously the priority and this whole thing between Daiki and I... Well, people come and go all of your life right? He's just somebody that I used to know."

Your sister frowned at those words.

"I remember Aomine-kun. I remember how close the two of you were and how happy he made you. I don't think you should give up on making amends with him, he's obviously still important to you."

Smiling, she continued.

"Even if you can't stay the entire practice, I don't think Momoi will force you off the team. You can take some of the information she gathers and analyze it at home; then you can implement your training regimes the next day. Trust me, (Name)-chan, you can make this work. You just have to find a way."

"Onee-chan..."

You smiled and laid your head on her chest. She always knew just what to say.

_........................................................................_

You took (S/N)-nee-chan's advice to heart and found a way. 

After school, it was straight to practice. You and Momoi were a wicked pair; together, you got double the work done, and gathered twice as much information. At 5:15pm, you ran off home and continued your managerial duties from there. As Inter-High approached, you convinced the nurse to stay on weekends too and even later after school on some days.

As for Aomine...

Things were still ice cold between you two. 

Ever since you began managing the team, Aomine had been steadily avoiding you. Any forced contact warranted an icy response from him, so cold that it burned. Despite this fact, you continued to collect data and log statistics on his growth and development as a player. With the other player's regimes taking priority and competition so close, you had hardly taken the time to analyze Aomine's stats. However, on one particularly hot day, you started looking through it, and you were **shocked** at what you found. Aomine's god-like moves were set to at least _triple_ in skill level within the next 3 years, even without training or practice, meaning that by the time he graduated high school, he'd be three times stronger than he was now.

This fact you found both incredible and startling... The strongest miracle of all that shone the brightest was going to shine even brighter. You knew you couldn't keep this to yourself so the first thing you did was find Momoi before practice that day. Running from the gym, you rushed back into the school building, searching for Momoi. You didn't find her at any of her usual hang out spots, so you looked at the one other place she might be: the roof.

You finished scaling the staircase and found Momoi at the top with the one person who _definitely _didn't want to see you. Both heads turned in your direction, mid-conversation.

"Oh! Ano... I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just looking for you, Suki-chan."

Momoi glowed a half-hearted smile.

"(Name)-chan, I'm sorry I'm late for practice, you caught me right in the middle of trying to convince a certain baka to come to practice."

She gave Aomine a rueful glance. Aomine snorted at you and Momoi continued.

"Just give me a minute."

You bit your lip and looked down at your shoes.

At the movement, Aomine stiffened.

_It always drives me crazy when she does that.  
_  
You felt Aomine's eyes on you and met his gaze. A familiar electricity crackled between the two of you and you instinctively looked back down at your shoes. Meanwhile, Momoi pulled Aomine further away from you and they picked up their conversation in hushed tones. After a few tense moments, you heard Aomine blow out an exasperated sigh and stomp towards you. He stopped briefly in front of you, poised to say something. 

There it was.

All those unspoken words threatening to spill over into your arms, emotions running rampant behind a cool, collected mask. Though the moment was brief, you felt a surge of fresh pain overcome you, and you knew that the damage you inflicted upon Aomine could be permanent. As he walked past you, letting his unsaid words remain a mystery, you couldn't help but continue to stare at the tall blue-eyed creature you no longer knew. 

Shaking your head free from the fog Aomine left behind, you turned back to Momoi, just as she began to speak.

"Sorry about that, (Name)-chan. Aomine-kun is just so difficult, I had to threaten his precious magazines to get him to come to practice... AGAIN."

"Don't worry about it, it's fine. There's something I want to tell you, actually."

Momoi cocked her head to the side as you began to tell her about Aomine's rapidly increasing power level. Her eyes got bigger and bigger as you contented to speak, until her jaw was practically on the floor.

"Nani? Are you absolutely positive that it will _triple _in the next few years?"

  
You nodded gravely.

"Hai, there's no question in my mind. His power level will be.... Over 9000!!!!"

"Over 9000? What does that even mean?"

  
"Nothing, it was... Nothing, never mind..." (the otaku in you slowly shrank back below the surface)

Momoi closed her eyes briefly and squeezed the bridge of her nose, the worry apparent on her delicate features. 

"I was afraid of this, (Name)-chan... Of course, Aomine has always been improving and getting stronger, but after you left, all of the Teiko team began to bloomed just like Aomine; only Aomine bloomed the most and the fastest. There's no doubt that this explosion of talent changed him completely and I prayed that he would find someone to defeat him, but it never happened. And now, he's projected to become an even bigger monster? I'm afraid he'll never find a rival and he'll remain in this cold and lonely state!"

Tears sprang into Momoi's eyes and you winced at her words. You knew that all she said was true and that if something didn't give this year, then Aomine would never change. You also understood why Momoi was so emotional; the three of you used to be joined at the hip, a family. Giving that up had been one of the most difficult things you'd ever had to do and now you were paying the price. You bit your lip and looked down again.

"Someone will come, Suki-chan. Someone will beat Aomine, and then his love for basketball will return. It has too..."

You trailed off and looked up at Momoi, then wrapped your arm around her shoulder in comfort. As you stood on the roof, you looked up at the blue sky as the heat wrapped around you like a warm blanket, and you could't help but wonder why your words sounded so hollow and unconvincing in your own ears.

_........................................................................_

_Aomine stood in the doorway of the staircase to the roof, unheard and unseen by you and Momoi. The bag of teriyaki burgers that had been abandoned on the roof completely disappeared from Aomine's mind as he heard the conversation unfolding in front if him. His hands shook. Triple? His powers would triple? He knew that the only one who could beat him was him, of course, but if what you said was accurate, the others wouldn't even stand a chance. Basketball wasn't any fun anymore, but with such a huge skill difference, he didn't even know if he could bear the thought of playing anymore. Visions of the games he played at Teiko flashed in front of his eyes as he remembered how it felt to literally crush a team in the palm of his hand, with little effort._

_Soon, it would take no effort at all._

_When that happens, would there be a point to anything anymore?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, what's going to happen next? your guess is just as good as mine.


	5. Change is Coming

_You ran._  
  
You slipped and skidded across the wet squishy grass by the river, the river you and he had shared so many warm memories beside.  
  
You didn't know how long those memories would keep you warm when the sadness in his eyes was so cold.  
  
So. Cold.  
  
So you just kept running.  
  
_........................................................................_   
  
  


  
You spotted Aomine at lunch, sitting by himself. Aomine usually disappeared during your shared lunch hour, you assumed to the roof or somewhere outside. Today, though, you saw him sitting at one of the round tables in the corner of the dining hall, eating his usual huge portion of a meal, all alone. You continued to stare as you sat down beside Momoi and the little group of friends you had amassed during your short time at Toō Academy. As you entered the bubble of gossip and giggles that surrounded your table, Momoi noticed your creepily intense stare and followed your line of sight to Aomine. A slick grin crossed her face as she looked back and forth between you and him.

"Oi, Aomine-kun! Aomine-kun!"

You turned to stare at Momoi. Horrified, you looked over and saw Aomine staring at your table. All the girls around you burst into a nervous fit of giggling as all of you felt that laser-like gaze. 

"Ch-ch-chotto, Suki-chan! What the hell are you doing?!"

Momoi blatantly ignored you.

"Oi, Aomine-kun! You look soooo lonely over there! Why don't you come and sit with us!"

The girls erupted in another fit of chatter and giggles. You saw Aomine considering it; saw the gears turning into that head of his. To your shock, amazement, and terror, you saw him get up from his table and come towards you! The table continued to tremble with nervous anticipation as your friends, obviously aware of Aomine's scandalous attitude and celebrity status at the school, gaped in disbelief as he came and pulled up a chair right in between you and Momoi. Momoi practically cackled as the table rippled with anxiety at the new kid on the block.

You stared at your lunch, biting your lip softly. You looked deep into your white rice, hoping that a solution to the awkward situation lay somewhere in it's grainy white folds. When nothing came, you looked back up and found everyone staring at you expectantly. Startled, you realized someone had asked you a question, and you let out a bewildered, "Nani?"

Aomine rolled his eyes. "I asked if you were gonna eat that."

He pointed to the box of untouched food in front of you. In your head you said, "Well, it took me a pretty long time to cook this. Rice and curry is kind of my favorite dish too." What came out of your mouth was, "You ignore me, then ask me to feed you? Think again, blueberry baka." 

An audible gasp was heard around the table, and you clapped your hand over your mouth.

_Holy shit, I CANNOT believe I just said that._  
  
"Aomine I'm so-"

Almost in slow motion, you saw a tan hand go under your bento, sending it flying across the edge of the table before making a neat summersault onto the ground. You turned, your mouth and everyone else's sitting on the floor, and watched as the man-boy stood from the table and cooly walked away. In shock, you stared at the place where your bento used to be; your anger started boiling and like a thermometer your internal temperature started rising and rising until you literally exploded out of your chair in pursuit of Aomine.

You ran after the long legged boy, finally tracking him down to the relatively empty back courtyard on the school campus. You didn't speak. You didn't think. Hell, you couldn't really even see anything other than red. You just reached down, grabbed the biggest rock you saw, and hurled it Aomine's back. You heard the impact more than you saw it, a sick **THUD **as the rock cracked into his back. You ran over, still livid, and started screaming at the disabled Aomine.

"What the hell is your problem, Aomine Daiki! I've been nothing but kind and polite to you, and your treat me with so little respect! I know I popped off at you a couple times but I didn't mean it... How else am I supposed to react when I see all that anger built up inside of you? Anger that's directed towards me? The way things are between us has been killing me, Daiki... You're all I ever think about anymore... And I don't know how many more ways I can say '_I'm sorry_.'"

You dropped to your knees beside Aomine, who sat with his legs stretched in front of him and his hands flat on the ground. He was staring at the sky, avoiding your eyes, until the tears started shimmering down your chin and cheeks. He stared into those beautiful (e/c) windows to the soul and he felt something change inside of him. No matter what you had done to him, no matter how angry he was with you, he didn't want to see you cry.

He put a hand on top of your head and ruffled your hair a bit, a gesture that he had done to you since childhood. You could feel the plethora of conflicted emotions seeping through his hands and into your skin: anger, betrayal, hurt, sadness, fear, loss, confusion. More than anything, though, you felt his warmth, something you thought had been forgotten and lost from him long ago. You saw that your bright star Aomine was still present, just waiting for liberation.

It was quiet for a while. The bell rang but neither of you moved. The two of you just sat there, Aomine on his bum with one hand in the grass, one on your bowed head, and you on your knees school-girl style, hands clenched in your lap. The tears stopped and you looked up, meeting Aomine's navy eyes. Neither of you spoke aloud, but it was as though you were having a telepathic conversation.

_You hurt me, (Name)._  
  
_I know. And I'm sorry, Daiki._  
  
_I know you are. It's ok._  
  
_Are we going to be ok now?_  
  
_Yeah, I think we are._

Then Aomine stood and put one his hand in his pocket and offered you the other one. You smiled weakly as he helped you up and you kept eye contact for another moment. An unspoken agreement had been made between the two of you. A secret pact that rode on the waves of emotions that had overwhelmed you and him over the past couple months.

"Let's get to class, (Name)-chan."

You smiled so brightly Aomine was temporarily frazzled by it's intensity.

"W-w-why are you smiling like such a dope?"

"Nothing."

But you kept smiling, because he had called you (Name)-**_chan_**.

  
_........................................................................_

_Meanwhile nearby...._

_Wakamatsu was having a shitty day. He had forgotten his gym bag with all of his clothes on the bus. He had bombed a major test in his Japanese History class. He had forgotten the bento his mom packed at home and had to eat the shitty school lunch. Everyone was annoying him and everything was pissing him off. When lunch was over, he learned that there was a leak on the C-hall where his next class was and he had to go all the way around the back of the school to get to class. Which meant he'd be late. AGAIN. Walking on the back courtyard walkway, he was grumbling to himself about how much his day had sucked when he saw something... Odd. Aomine Daiki was sitting next to (Last Name, First Name) and she was... Crying? No, her head was just drooping... And why the hell was Aomine looking at her like that? _

_Wakamatsu's day just got a lot shittier. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short again, pls don't be mad, I am but a humble college student :)


	6. Two Flames Collide

_He fingered the small basketball charm in his hand._

_You'd won the charm at a carnival when you were 8 and given it to him even though he said it was girly._

_He said he'd just put it away somewhere and forget about it._

_But he didn't._

_He kept it in his pocket during every game he ever played, for luck._

_Now, he was throwing the small charm into the river._

_He hoped that as the charm drowned in the plentiful water, his feelings for you would drown with it._

__

_._ _........................................................................  
_ __

**kuro_tetsuya3: ** Guess i'll C U @ Int. High.  
  
**Your Screename: ** Gr8! Congrats on making it!  
  
**kuro_tetsuya3: ** Cant believe it... Hope U know Kagami and i wont lose  
  
**Y/S: ** Pretty bold talk can U back it up?  
  
**kuro_tetsuya3: ** Promised Momoi i would beat him and i meant it  
  
**Y/S: ** I hope so.. 4 all of our sakes. C U soon!!!!!!!  
  
_kuro_tetsuya3 has logged off_  
  
_Y/S has logged off_

You shut your laptop and leaned back in your chair with a quiet grin on your face. It was so like Kuroko to be so brief and dry, but brimming with passion beneath. Needless to say, everyone was excited about the summer Inter-High tournament, and even though it was only the preliminaries, you were pumped to see your old friend Kuroko and his new team. As one of Momoi's data spies, you already knew pretty much everything there was to know about the newly christened Seirin team, especially with regards to their ace, Kagami Taiga. He reminded you a lot of the old Aomine, and thus you were naturally drawn to him; you couldn't wait to see how he stacked up against Aomine.

As your brain whirred, your musings were interrupted by your Panic! At The Disco ringtone. Answering the phone with a quick "Moshi moshi?" you heard Aomine's gravelly baritone vocals on the other end of the line.

"I'm coming over."

  
"Nani?!? Ch...Chottomatte! When are you coming?"

You heard a loud rap on the door.

"I'm outside. Open up."

You quickly hung up with a panicked gasp. You were in your GoofyGoober Peanut Party boy-short panties and a holey AOT t-shirt! You ran off in a flash, passing your sister's room on the way there.

"(Name)? Who's at the door?"

"It's Aomine! He just showed up!" You yelled down the hall.

"Again? Jeez, he sure has been over here a lot lately. Are you going to make me hide in my room again? You can't keep me a secret forever."

You stood in your sister's doorway while slipping on a more flattering shirt. 

"Onee-chan... Can we not do this right now?"

"Alright, (Name). But remember, you can't keep your little secret forever, and when it does come out, you want it to be on your terms."

"Hai, hai, Onee-chan. I've gotta go get the door."

You closed the door behind you and started towards the front door. 

_She's totally right. Aomine is going to find out soon enough, and I want him to hear the story from me... Should I just tell him? No, I can't yet. Not when things are so good between us and with Inter-High around the corner. I'll tell him after the competition is over or something._

With this resolve, you opened the door.

Aomine leaned casually against the doorframe, both hands in his faded denim jeans. He had on a red tank top that accentuated his muscular form and a quarter sleeve jacket and a small backpack was slung over his shoulder. His expression changed from boredom to interest when he saw you, his face lighting up; you didn't even notice. You also didn't notice the way his eyes quickly flicked over every inch of your body, taking in your lavender and white floral blouse, navy denim shorts, and bare feet.

Aomine smirked. "What happened to those cute little panties? I was looking forward to seeing those up close."

He couldn't have surprised you more if he had slapped you in the face. "Wh... Wh... Wha... Uh..."

Aomine's smirk deepened and he leaned in close to your blazing red face and whispered, "Your blinds were open."

Kuso! Your bedroom window faced the front of your house.

As you tried to stutter out a response, Aomine pushed past you inside and automatically started towards the kitchen. This was how it always went whenever Aomine came over - it had been the same ever since you were kids. You used to always have snacks prepared beforehand to ward off the Aomine munch-monster, but since his arrivals had become more and more sporadic, you found yourself less and less prepared for his raids on your food supply. Aomine rustled around in your fridge and came up empty. A trip through your pantry yielded the same.

"Are you broke or something?"

You rolled your eyes. Truthfully, your sister's medical care was sucking up most of the money being funneled into your home and you had forgotten to go shopping again.

"Why don't you eat at your own house, then?"

"Because you're not there."

Your cheeks burned and Aomine's did the same as he quickly scrambled to recover from his sentiments.

"I-I just meant... I mean, who would keep your smart ass mouth in check if I didn't come around?"

You laughed. "Yeah, and who would keep your hot headed rude ass out of trouble if I wasn't looking out for you?"

It was Aomine's turn to roll his eyes. "Whatever, baka."

Aomine hopped onto the countertop and pulled a sultry magazine out of his backpack, flipping the pages idly. You sat at the counter, Aomine's long legs taking up most of the counter space; you texted Momoi simultaneously.

**Momo-chan: ** Nani?!? Aomine-kun is @ UR house again?!?

**You: ** Hai... Whats the big deal?  
  
**Momo-chan: ** R U kidding me?!? Hes OBSESSED WITH U!!!  
  
**You: **

**Momo-chan: **Oh plz... ur just playing dumb  
  
**You: **If u say so....  
  
**Momo-chan: **BTW, Im going to see Tetsu-kun at Seirin tomorrow!!!!

**You: ** Gr8! Ill B there!  
  
**Momo-chan: ** Actually I want u to keep an eye on Aomine-kun if thats ok!  
  
**You: ** Don't worry Ill keep him out of trouble!

Aomine craned his neck to look at your phone. "Who the hell is texting you? Your little text tone is seriously getting annoying."

"It's Momo-chan."

"What's she bugging you so much about?"

You hesitated. Momoi had given you the full story on Aomine's fall from grace, especially his ongoing beef with Kuroko and his ideals.

"She... She was just telling me about how she's going to see Kuroko-chan tomorrow."

Aomine stiffened. "Sokka."

It was quiet for a moment.

"Are you going to see him too?" Aomine asked offhandedly.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm actually supposed to be babysitting tomorrow."

"Babysitting? Are you that broke? Who the hell are you babysitting?"

You jabbed Aomine in the ribcage and smirked. "You, Ahomine."

_........................................................................_

The next day, you and Aomine hit the town. After getting a bite to eat, Aomine spotted a store that sold his favorite idol magazines. Annoyed as he wandered off, you started to follow him into the store. Suddenly, a flash of red passed you, followed by a tiny human with blue high tops. A little boy's balloon was flying off. Instinctively, you took off after it, running to a nearby basketball court, smack into the middle of a broad, muscular chest. Reeling backwards, you looked up, despite your embarrassment. A tan hand clutched the string of the runaway balloon and passed it back to it's grateful owner.

"There you go little guy." The deep voice matched the man's physique. The man's red eyes flicked towards you, addressing you unashamedly, and it was only then that you realized it was not a man, but a boy your age; a boy that you definitely recognized. 

"Uh, sumimasen. Looks like we were both chasing after that thing."

"Ah, it's not your fault. You don't have to apologize, Kagami-san."

Surprise framed the redhead's face. "Oh, do I know you?"

_Great, now you're a klutz AND a creepy stalker girl. Great first impression._

"N-no, I'm just a part of the Toō Academy basketball team... I'm one of their managers and we know all about you and your team. Our other manager is actually visiting your team at their training pool as we speak."

"Oh, I see; you're (Last Name, First Name). You're the one Kuroko told me about."

"Kuroko-chan talks about me?"

"Hai. Apparently, you're the only one who has a handle on the next guy we're playing."

Aomine's voice called out from a distant. "Hate break it to you, guy, but no one has a handle on me."

You both turned quickly. Aomine leaned against the gate casually, but clearly annoyed. 

"Hora, hora. Play me. Let's see how long you can entertain me."

Kagami's face contorted, and you felt the air crackle as their egos clashed. They went back and forth and eventually started up a pick up game. You watched as Aomine soundly pounded Kagami, his injury clearly putting him at a disadvantage. Did this redhead really beat Kise AND Midorima? You saw Aomine's smugness and heard him say, "The only one who can beat me is me."

Your heart broke. You realized there was no hope for Aomine's defeat after all. As Aomine sauntered off, you started to follow him, but before you left the court, you heard a bloodcurdling yell. You whipped around and saw Kagami punch the fence beside him. That's when you saw it. A red, animal-like aura emanated from his pores, making him look wild, almost dangerous. However, you walked back over to him boldly. 

"Are you ok?"

Kagami punched the fence again. "Hell no, I'm not ok. I'm pissed. That guy seriously pisses me off."

"Ah, he tends to have that affect on people. Don't let it get to you, Kagami-san."

He looked down at you, curiosity in his eyes. "You can call me Kagami."

You blushed. _This guy is seriously hot - and hotheaded too._

"Alright then... Kagami."

_.....................................Epilogue..................................._

  
_She slammed into his chest while he simultaneously caught the balloon that had wandered off. As he handed off the red bag of air, he was struck by how pretty the frazzled girl before him was. Not just pretty but... beautiful. As she spoke, he struggled to find words to respond to the melodic voice gracing his ears. He was in a daze, a wonderful cloudy daze created by her presence, until it was shattered by some blue haired idiot. Even after a stressful and heated game, she was still in his head, polluting his mind, like a tumor that was just starting to grow. _

_That's when he knew he had a problem._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to heat up ;) who are you rooting for, Aomine, Wakamatsu, or Kagami? Who will win your affections in the end?


End file.
